We magically skate into the mesmerizing Indian subcontinent with this Christmas-adjacent folk song, that speaks about the need to escape familiar surroundings and the emotional ties that bind a person in their romantic life. We escaped in a different way, with the reharmonization of the “Jingle Bells” theme, adding a new chapter to the song with swirling, cross-rhythmic bells and a haunting South Indian vocal solo in the raga Hindolam.
Thanks to Janis Siegel (Manhattan Transfer) and Lauren Kinhan (New York Voices) for asking us to create this arrangement for their Vocal Gumbo series in New York.
credits
from Talk To Me,
released May 29, 2022
Joni Mitchell
Arranged and performed by FreePlay
My brother accidently noticed your exceptional sound of your band on the radio and thought it might interest me. And in fact, I was blown away by the uniqueness of the collective sound of the band as well as the beautiful sound individually of the singer's voice, the bass player and the tabla player! It was the find of the year for me, really amazed by the beauty of this music! Thank you so much! pavelsolodovnikov
Whether you take up the deep, reflective traditional songs with the charming ones and allow them to co-exist on the same album or allow them to stand separate is one's own choice, but I invite anyone reading this to experience everything with ears open and you'll surely enjoy what technical prowess and an infinitely open mind can do for music these days. Thanks to everyone who worked on these recordings; you've at least made a difference in my life, and hopefully in many others to come! Travis